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Monday, January 7

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 4; Isaiah 52:3-6; Matthew 12:14-21; Revelation 2:1-7; Psalm 44

Every once in a while you have an experience that helps you flesh out a piece of scripture with which you are currently grappling. This was certainly the case for me today as it relates to a portion of today’s first Psalm. At the beginning of Psalm 4, you might remember the psalmist cried out: “How long, O people … will you love delusions and seek false gods?” (Psalm 4:2). Some might wonder what sort of delusions or false gods the psalmist might be speaking. Of course I can’t speak for the psalmist, but over the last few days I’ve had my own experience of what I think the psalmist might have meant. You see for the past three days I have been vacationing in Las Vegas. I had never been to Las Vegas before, so Mike and I made the trek here last Friday as a late Christmas gift to ourselves. And boy – what an experience Las Vegas is. The strip in Las Vegas represents the epitome of what our American culture seems to value – glitter, glitz, and opulence. I was told that things have escalated to the point where a single acre of land on the Las Vegas strip now goes for between 20 and 40 million dollars! The blinding neon lights, the expanse of marble floors in some of the casinos, the plethora of sequins, and the acres of slot machines all represent to me the sort of delusions and false gods of which the psalmist was speaking. Thankfully, in the face of these delusions I could join the psalmist in giving thanks for the light that outshines all the neon lights combined – the light of Your face (Pm 4:6). I could also give thanks for the joy of reaping the rewards of a jackpot – one made up not of quarters but of a heart full of joy (Pm 4:7). May God help us look beyond the delusions and false gods that unexpectedly appear in our lives and ground us in the one true God with whom we lie down and rest in peace. Til next time…

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